Methods and apparatuses for data traffic smoothing or shaping are already known in the prior art. One aim of such methods is to regulate a data transmission rate with the aim of the most continuous data transfer possible without loss.
The deployment of such methods for data traffic smoothing is recommended for example when forwarding data packets by way of network elements, such as routers for example. Data packets arriving at an input of such a network element with a variable transmission rate are hereby transferred to an output of the apparatus in such a manner that the data transmission rate at the output is ideally constant but at least has an upward limit.
With such network elements it is frequently the case that data packets arriving at the input arrive with a high data transmission rate, while only a lower data transmission rate can be achieved or permitted at the output. The network element here has a buffer for buffering data packets until they are forwarded.
A lower data transmission rate requirement at the output may be offered for example by a transmission element connected to the network element that can only process a limited data transmission rate.
A known method for data traffic smoothing is the token bucket method. To implement this method using corresponding software, provision is made for the periodic generation of tokens, which fall figuratively into a bucket. With the method a specific number of data packets can pass through the apparatus for one token in the bucket, the token being deleted or removed from the bucket when the number of data packets provided for has passed through. The number of data packets that can pass through the apparatus per token corresponds to a data packet transmission rate. This can generally be set by changing the time period of newly generated tokens.